


You Won't Believe What Happens Next

by adjit



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Everyone gets a POV, I'm not tagging them all but Just Trust Me, M/M, News Media, POV Outsider, Social Media
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2017-04-03
Packaged: 2018-10-14 12:46:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10536744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adjit/pseuds/adjit
Summary: Japanese Skater Fails Horribly, Drinks 16 Flutes of Champagne... What Happens Next May Surprise You!(Or: Yuri!!! On Ice as seen by the rest of the world)





	

**Author's Note:**

> So, I started this fic a long while ago, but eventually ran out of steam. But then I started teaching myself CSS, and I remembered this fic... and it became a class for me to teach myself. Some of the code is borrowed from [here,](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8631214/chapters/19792327) and some of it I wrote/edited myself. You can probably tell what parts I did because they are likely much less elegant and pretty.
> 
> Because it is the way it is, with the integrated social media posts, I'm afraid for you mobile readers... it might be a little hard. I actually have no idea what it looks like. But just a warning- maybe plan to come back on desktop.  
> Edit: I've been told it look alright on mobile! But it's still optimized for desktop ^^"
> 
> In any case, I hope you enjoy my little experiment!

# Katsuki Fell to Last Place: Is This Season His Last?

 **Katsuki Yuuri** has captured the hearts of many this season, breaking through as Japan’s “late bloomer.” Though he’s 23, Katsuki has never made it to a Grand Prix Final- until now. 

Katsuki has skated beautifully this season, his step sequences and spins shining particularly bright. We saw him take a bronze medal at Skate America and secure his place in the GPF with a silver at the NHK Trophy. 

His entire home nation of Japan had their eyes trained on him- and maybe those eyes weighed too heavily on the skater. It’s not exactly new information that Katsuki suffers from nerves, and it seems that he just couldn’t overcome the pressure of the finals. 

Mere moments after he hit the ice in his free skate, fans could tell his skating was off- one of Katsuki’s biggest advantages is the graceful way he moves to the music, and that was completely gone, with only awkward, stiff movements left behind. Jumps have never been his strong point, but there was no coming back from the number of falls in his program. 

Safe to say, his self destruction sent him plummeting to last place. Katsuki isn’t exactly young for a figure skater- are these disastrous results an omen foretelling the end of his career? We weren’t able to get a comment from Katsuki, so there’s no telling what his thoughts on this subject are. But a performance like that could very easily mean the end.

Still, looking at the season as a whole, it’s easy to see that there’s hope for Katsuki’s future. A failure can be a huge blow confidence-wise, but if he can rally his spirits, there’s still a chance to see him up on that podium again. We’ll keep an eye on this glass-hearted skater, and hope to see him dominate Japanese nationals in just a few weeks time. ◼ 

  
  


“Katsuki Fell to Last Place: Is This Season His Last?” Yuuri reads, and Celestino has to work to keep the cringe mental, and not let it show on his face. He hasn’t looked, but he’s sure there are already plenty of headlines with similar themes being published as they speak.

“Yuuri…” Celestino admonishes, but the boy just looks up at him with a blank expression. Part of him is relieved that there are no signs of an imminent breakdown, at least, though god knows what kind of self-flagellation is going on inside of his head. He knows that it’s not really Yuuri’s fault, that there were just too many factors that overwhelmed the boy, but when he does things like this, Celestino can’t understand him. He does not and probably will not ever understand why the skater insists on doing things that will only worsen his self-esteem problems. Celestino tries, he really does, but sometimes it seems like Yuuri is determined to make himself feel worse, and what is he supposed to do against that? He opens his mouth to suggest they leave again, but Yuuri just stands up, face still blank. 

He mutters half of an excuse before walking away, and Celestino watches, heart sinking, as he turns back to his phone and shuffles down the hallway in the general direction of the bathrooms. As polite as that boy was, he wasn’t very good at listening to instructions, at least when it came to trying to protect him from his anxiety. 

Celestino releases a long-suffering sigh as he pulls his own phone out, sifting through the articles that mention his student. At the very least, he can find out how much damage control he’ll have to do. 

After scrolling through the different headlines, and not even bothering to hide the wince at some of them, he sees the article that Yuuri had quoted, and opens it with a sort of morbid curiosity. He skims it, the tightness in his chest draining away the more he reads. He even ends up nodding to himself as he reads and then rereads the last paragraph. 

Admittedly, he sometimes gets caught up in the pessimism that Yuuri exudes. But he shakes that away, locking his phone and putting it away with a feeling of finality. Of course the headlines are predicting disaster- drama brought readers. But if Yuuri bothers to actually read the articles and ignore the clickbait titles- and he really hopes he will- then he’d see that even the professionals believed there was hope for him. Not to mention his fans. Though Yuuri will never admit he had them, Celestino knows there’d be people rooting for Yuuri no matter what. Fans got like that, even for someone as elusive to the media as Yuuri tries to be.

Celestino puts his hands on his hips, feeling lighter already. He just has to stay positive, and that would spread to Yuuri. And it isn’t that hard to be positive about this, when you just take a moment to think about it. He leans against the wall, looking out for Yuuri in the crowd. There’s no sign of him, but Celestino just assumes he’s still in the bathroom. Maybe he just needs some time to himself. 

He decides not to worry about it. Yuuri will be alright. He has plenty of people on his side.  
  


alicǝ✩    
@icewings・1h   
icenewsnetwork.com/news/katsuki-fe… IF HE RETIRES I WILL CRY  9 2  21 

°˖✧fight me✧˖°    
@katsuki_fairy・1h   
@icewings i thought u were a minami stan now  2 4 

alicǝ✩    
@icewings・1h   
@katsuki_fairy I say I was rooting for him once and suddenly I’m a Minami stan?  1 

alicǝ✩    
@icewings・47m   
@katsuki_fairy He’s small his time is later AND I CAN STAN TWO PEOPLE  1 1  6 

(ʘ‿ʘ✿)    
@skatingmemes・47m   
@icewings @katsuki_fairy okay traitor   
1 5  67 

alicǝ✩    
@icewings・46m   
@skatingmemes shut UP I’M DISTRESSED  1 6 

°˖✧fight me✧˖°    
@katsuki_fairy・46m   
@icewings @skatingmemes k but theres no way hes gonna retire  1 16 

alicǝ✩    
@icewings・45m   
@katsuki_fairy He is 23...    
1 4 

°˖✧fight me✧˖°    
@katsuki_fairy・45m   
@icewings and gold and silver went to two people older than him  2 3  8 

(ʘ‿ʘ✿)    
@skatingmemes・45m   
@icewings @katsuki_fairy you can’t count nikiforov he’s an immortal vampire or something he doesn’t age  16 27  153 

°˖✧fight me✧˖°    
@katsuki_fairy・44m   
@skatingmemes shit u right   
14 

°˖✧fight me✧˖°    
@katsuki_fairy・43m   
@icewings @skatingmemes ANYWAY the point is hes not gonna retire  1 3  15 

°˖✧fight me✧˖°    
@katsuki_fairy・43m   
@icewings @skatingmemes hell probably be back and kicking ass by nationals and rumors of retirement will die  2  25 

#  ⋯ 

Chris looks out over the room, smile sitting lightly on his face. The banquet was never the most _riveting_ event, but at least there was champagne. Speaking of… He grabs a glass as he walks by, taking a sip as he scans the crowd for familiar faces. He spies Victor in the corner, Yuri close by, but Victor’s engaged with someone else, and Yuri would probably rather eat his own hand than willingly come talk to Chris, so Chris just pulls out his phone and takes a few photos. He takes pictures of the room, subtly picking out the worst dressed men in the room and making sure they’re in the background. It’s stupid, but he’s bored. And frankly, someone needed to record that horrible tie, just to prove that there is no God. At least he’ll have _something_ to post on instagram. They’re just… atmospheric. 

Okay, no, they’re boring. But he’s not going to take selfies by himself in the middle of a banquet. That would be outlandish. Chris has standards for public behavior, at least. So he looks over at Victor again, catching his eye this time. He keeps talking, but at least he knows Chris is waiting for him now. He absently tries a few filters, vaguely remembering that the banquets are supposed to be showcases of social skills and etiquette, and that sitting on your phone all night was showing a severe lack of both, but Chris also didn’t really care. If anyone approached him he’d be sure to schmooze as they expected him to, but stuffy affairs like this weren’t exactly his favorite.

Eventually, he feels a presence over his shoulder, glancing at his screen. “Wow,” a voice greets, “that’s the least adventurous picture I’ve ever seen you take.”

Chris laughs. “There are some people who would be ecstatic that I’m toning it down,” he replies as he pockets his phone, turning to face Victor Nikiforov and smiling amusedly at him.

“Well _I’ve_ never been one of those people.” Victor smiles back, picture perfect and a thousand miles away. Metaphorically, at least. Physically, the man is standing closer than was likely socially acceptable, but still. He’s been hard to reach in so many ways for so very long. Chris knows that it would be better if they were alone, with no sponsors and no expectations. But just better.

Nevertheless, he can still try to draw out a smile or a laugh on occasion. Or at the very least, they can commiserate. “Much to their dismay, no.” Chris shrugs. “But a boring picture for a boring party. It fits, doesn’t it?”

“I wonder if that’s better or worse than a boring picture for a fun party.”

“Depends just how much fun was had.” He wiggles his eyebrows for effect, and Victor laughs. “You know I’m always ready to spice up a party.”

Victor smiles at the idea, mischief dancing in his eyes, though there’s still a part of him blocked off. Chris wonders if it’s his own imagination, because the man himself doesn’t even seem to realize it. “If only.”

“All I ever need is an excuse.” Despite their natural conversation, he knows they’re both minutely aware of their surroundings. Victor has barely stopped performing, and Chris can’t say he’s much better. They know what the world expects, and they know what happens when they stop giving it. Chris can already feel their time coming close to an end- Victor is the gold medalist, after all. Others would want to talk to them. So he pulls his phone back out, shifting closer to Victor. “Take a picture with me, if the other ones I took are so boring. At least the fans will love it- two of the medallists together.”

“Should we find the bronze medallist?” Victor suggests, and Chris looks at him impassively. 

“Do you remember who that is?”

Victor is silent for a moment, contemplative, before leaning in and smiling at the camera. Chris rolls his eyes but poses along with him, snapping a few shots. He can feel the judgemental stares of some of those around him who have been watching him on his phone, so instead of checking the pictures, he simply puts the phone away once more. They’ll look good- the two of them always do. He lays his hand on Victor’s arm. “There are others who desperately need you, I’m sure. I should let you go.”

“And you?”

“I’ve been sated enough for now. But give me a few minutes and I’d be happy to go another round with you.”

Victor just nods, unphased by anything Chris could say to him at this point. “Then it’s time for me to charm more strangers.”

Chris raises his glass in a toast. “Good luck.” He sips his champagne, watching as Victor’s attention is immediately claimed, and sighs a little as he sets down his glass. His eyes fall on Yuuri Katsuki in the far corner, downing what looks to be his fifth glass of champagne, and Chris silently thinks he has the right idea.

Yuuri Katsuki loosens his tie and grabs another glass.

  


The next morning, Chris can’t keep the smile off his face as he goes through the pictures on his phone. He has a slight headache, but he can’t even summon enough negativity to feel bad about it. He hasn’t had that much fun in a long time. He’s never seen most of those skaters enjoying the banquet so much- especially Victor. Chris lingers over a picture with him in the background, looking more excited than Chris knew he could get anymore. He swipes to the next picture, thinking it was about time someone reached Victor, anyway.

The skaters all have a silent promise to keep those pictures private. They know Yuuri well enough to not want to ruin his career by posting the pictures on social media, but that just mean that every single post that they _did_ make is full of suspiciously innocuous pictures and odd statements that referenced what happened without saying it. Chris scrolls through his instagram feed, looking at increasingly plain pictures of last night with increasingly outlandish captions. Sara Crispino literally posted a picture of one of the blank walls of the room. He spends a moment wondering why she’d taken that picture in the first place, but gives it up and just laughs and moves on. It’s like everyone at the banquet is involved in a giant inside joke. Yuuri really had a way of bringing people together.

Chris smirks as he posts the first picture he had taken that night, the “atmospheric” one he’d originally said was boring. 

He laughs again, remembering part of his conversation with Victor. Well, they had their answer. A boring picture for a fun party was definitely better. Though it _certainly_ seemed like Victor got the better deal that night, Chris is plenty satisfied with the pictures and his memories for now.  


christophe-gc ❤ **5,679** likes  
**christophe-gc** A night I’ll never forget!  View all 428 comments

#  ⋯ 

**Minami Kenjirou wins gold at All-Japan Figure Skating Championships**

Minami Kenjirou (16) takes gold at Nationals, winning out over previous favorite Katsuki Yuuri (23). More ≫

  
  
Celestino looks at Yuuri, trying to think of what to say. “Yuuri, don’t worry,” he starts. He had already said it before the short program… and after… and before the free skate. He’s said it basically every day to Yuuri, not that it ever makes any difference, but it was a sentiment that bears repeating. Especially to Yuuri. “Let’s just go.”

Yuuri smiles weakly up at him, and it doesn’t sit right with Celestino, if only because he can’t do anything to stop it from happening. Yuuri’s smile wobbles before it collapses into itself and he looks away, face forced into a very thin veneer of neutrality. “Ah, yeah. Just a second.”

He doesn’t know what to do. He cares about Yuuri, he really does, and watching him self-destruct before his eyes is painful. Not just because he suspects that he’ll lose a student soon, but really that he knows that that is probably for the best. He can’t help Yuuri. He’s tried, and he’s helped him to this point, but this seems like a roadblock that Celestino isn’t equipped to handle.

Yuuri walks away, head low and shoulders hunched, the perfect picture of defeat. The uneasiness in Celestino’s chest intensifies as he realizes that Yuuri didn’t even bother to make an excuse before wandering away this time. But even still, he doesn’t try to stop him. He never does.  
  


(ʘ‿ʘ✿)    
@skatingmemes・8h   
prayer circle to keep yuuri from retirement, rt to join  18 386  953 

Natalia❤    
@staywithme・9m   
@skatingmemes Can we also pray for Victor?  1 6 

(ʘ‿ʘ✿)    
@skatingmemes・7m   
@staywithme no it would be cruel to pray for an immortal vampire what if it burns him like a cross would  16  58 

Tian Han    
@bincao_・5m   
@skatingmemes room for bin fans?   
2 6 

(ʘ‿ʘ✿)    
@skatingmemes・5m   
@bincao_ didn’t he already announce his retirement  7 4  60 

Tian Han    
@bincao_・5m   
@skatingmemes I dont wanna talk about it  3 

(ʘ‿ʘ✿)    
@skatingmemes・4m   
OKAY NEW PLAN PRAYER CIRCLE THAT NONE OF OUR FAVES EVER RETIRE AND THAT VICTOR INFECTS EVERYONE WITH HIS WEIRD VAMPIRE IMMORTALITY  12 499  609 

JET    
@cuppajet・3m   
@skatingmemes He’s not a vampire…   
1 5 

(ʘ‿ʘ✿)    
@skatingmemes・1m   
@cuppajet that’s what they want you to think  19 

#  ⋯ 

Yuuri stares blankly at his ceiling, contemplating if he’s going to get out of bed today. He doesn’t technically need to, but… he should. He knows, logically, it’s not hard. It would take only a few movements and fewer moments and he would be standing. He knows that once he got that far, he could rely on autopilot to get him through his daily routine and leave him a slightly closer approximation of a human. But then. Then he would have nothing to do. He would have nothing to do because he crashed and burned and he’s useless he can’t even skate why would he even _try_ he can’t even make it through Nationals and he didn’t qualify for anything his season is already _over_. 

He clutches his hands into fists and squeezes his eyes shut, pulling his thoughts up out of the tailspin. If he got out of bed, he would have to acknowledge _that_ , and it’s so much easier to not.

So he doesn’t. He rolls over, staring blankly at his wall instead. The longer he stays in bed, the more the self-disgust piles up, but the longer he stays in bed, the longer before he needs to actually face it. So he lets the cycle continue, instead grabbing his phone to find a third thing to stare blankly at. 

The thoughts, of course, don’t go away. Hiding in the dark, away from the world and safe in your own bed, doesn’t mean you’re safe from yourself. Yuuri closes his eyes, reaching out for the respite of sleep, but he knows he won’t be able to fall asleep now. Not when the question _Are you going to retire?_ keeps reverberating in his head, over and over and faster and faster. He can’t escape it, not when it invades his mind and sets his heart racing.

There’s a voice that insists, _Yes, of course you are. You got your chance, and you ruined it, and no one will want to see you again anyway, so quit before you make an even bigger fool of yourself._

But frankly, he’s starting to get tired of that voice. Because no matter how much he agrees with it, there’s still a part of him holding back. And that really tells him that he already has his answer.

He doesn’t really want to retire. He doesn’t know what he wants to do, but he loves skating. Or, he did.

Does he still love skating?

Yuuri takes a deep breath and practically throws himself out of bed as quickly as he can, getting as far into his routine as he can before he decides to second guess himself. Tricking himself into being productive. He pushes the fog away and thinks.

As he pulls his shirt over his head, he asks himself again: Does he still love skating? It’s hard to answer. When he presses himself for an answer, he only gets in static and vague feelings in response. 

And then: Does he want to?

The answer to that one is much more readily apparent. Of course he wants to love skating. 

Standing in the dark, half-blind and half-dressed, Yuuri starts making plans. What can he turn to to make him love skating again? 

Yuuri finally puts his glasses on, and he realizes his answer has been staring him in the face this whole time.

#  ⋯ 

# Beyond the Rink: The Coach Behind the Success

### While Victor Nikiforov is the name heard round the world, Yakov Feltsman is comparatively less known- though admittedly not by much. Yet he’s coached some of Russia’s most successful skaters, including one particular five time consecutive Grand Prix Finals gold winner. Feltsman was able to give some time to our very own Isaak Rostov to talk about his skaters and being a coach.

**Isaak Rostov: After this season’s successes so far, I think it’s safe to assume that you’ve been asked every question there is to ask about Victor Nikiforov. He’s a force in and of himself-**

Yakov Feltsman: You can say that again.

**IR: Ha, well, it’s well known that he’s a personality. But though I don’t want to focus too much on him in this interview, I hope you’ll allow me one Victor-related question. Do you ever feel like you’re owed more credit than you’re given?**

YF: No. Definitely not with Victor- I don’t want to take the credit for whatever that man gets up to, anyway. 

**IR: Then do you feel like he doesn’t need you?**

YF: Oh, he needs me. Skaters need coaches to point out their weak spots- especially skaters like Victor. He has so much that he can’t see what he’s missing. Even now, there’s room to improve. I’m not the first coach he’s had, but he stuck with me because I challenge him. I don’t let him just do whatever he wants. Though load of good that does me- he does what he wants anyway.

 **IR: So it’s true that Victor cannot be stopped- by other competitors or even by his own coach! But even after he’s gone, you’ll still be here, training the next generation of Russia’s skaters. And that’s a good way to transition away from him- I promised only one question about Victor and I asked you two. Sorry about that. But, the next generation. Of course we both know who I mean. Talk to me about our rising star Yuri Plisetsky. He’s been gearing up to make his senior debut, but tell me: Is he really ready?**

YF: Yuri’s been wanting to make his senior debut since he started in juniors. He’s impatient, and he’s been itching to compete on a higher level. But he’s also ready. Yuri has worked harder than most 15 year olds have even thought about working. It’s not about his age, it’s about his skill. I wouldn’t let him debut if I didn’t think he could do it. 

**IR: There’s talk about ushering in an era of two Russian champions! But for that Victor would be for sure competing next season. No, ignore that, I said no more questions about him, and I meant it. But still, two champions… It’s not actually possible for both to win gold. How do you deal with having multiple skaters competing against each other- Victor and Georgi Popovich have been both competitors and rinkmates for years, and next season Plisetsky will be joining the fray. Do you ever have to stop yourself from playing favorites?**

YK: I want all of my skaters to win, obviously, but that’s not all of my job. I don’t play favorites, and I’ve never really had to work at not doing that. It comes naturally as part of the job. All of my skaters get along, so that helps. They’re not all best of friends- there are too many big personalities and there’s no rink in the world that could fit all of their egos at once. But they push each other, or inspire each other. They have friendly rivalries, and that makes it easy for me to support all of them equally, because they support each other.

**IR: They support each other and you support them… Okay, one last question. Is that what makes you such a good coach? What do you think the key to coaching is?**

YK: Communication. If there’s something that I’m not happy with about them, I’m going to tell them. Otherwise I’d be useless as a coach. But they have to tell me, too, when there’s something they want from me. I’ve had skaters in the past who wouldn’t tell me when there was something bothering them, and they never lasted long with me. I don’t have time to guess what’s going on in their life, in their skating. Luckily, or not, I don’t think the very notion of holding back their thoughts has ever entered the mind of any of my current skaters. They say what they want and I say what I want, and it all works out in the end. There’s a lot of hard work on both of our ends in the middle there, but that’s the basis of it. Coaching is a relationship that both parties need to contribute to.

#  ⋯ 

Otabek watches Victor and Chris, face impassive. He doesn’t really mean to stare, but he doesn’t feel particularly bad for it- the two of them are making a spectacle anyway. They surely expected to be stared at- they’re at Worlds, after all, and not even in a particularly private area. 

Chris catches Otabek’s gaze and winks, to which Otabek only raises one eyebrow. “He’s just being dramatic,” Chris elaborates in a stage-whisper. 

Looking over Victor, who had swooned into Chris’ arms the moment he saw the man, wailing about something missing, Otabek had to agree. He was certainly being dramatic.

Chris absently pats Victor, who sniffles. “He’ll get over it and return his attention to the ice soon. He always does.”

“That’s not true!” Victor protests, scrambling to stand up straight but still clinging onto Chris in a vaguely octopus-like fashion. 

Chris smirks and gives Victor a disbelieving look. “Can you really choose someone over the ice?”

Otabek does not want to be involved in this conversation anymore. He didn’t really want to be involved in it in the beginning, so he takes the silence that Victor’s offended stare gives him to disengage from the conversation. “Well, good luck with that.”

Chris only laughs at Victor, who offers a surprisingly chipper, “Thank you!”

Otabek makes a swift exit, trying to find a quieter space so he can concentrate. Despite their antics, those two were some of his biggest competitors on the ice. He couldn’t afford to forget that.

otabek-altin   
❤ **3,132** likes  
**otabek-altin** Worlds  View all 74 comments

#  ⋯ 

Yuuko hears the doors open and a voice call out as she’s putting away the last pair of skates- and it’s just a little too high for her to reach comfortably, so she concentrates on not dropping heavy shoes with blades on them onto herself instead of looking over at the person entering, calling out politely, “Our regular hours are over.”

But then the skates are securely in their spot, and she turns to look at the man who had entered, and Yuuri Kastsuki is standing there, sheepishly shifting his weight and smiling at her. “It’s been a while, Yuuko-san.”

“Yuuri-kun?” bursts out of her before she processes what she’s seeing, and then the delight catches up to her. She grins and rushes towards the counter, lovingly admonishing Yuuri for reverting to such a polite tone. “Oh, come on! Call me Yuu-chan!” They may be adults, but they were also childhood friends, and that was important. They aren’t allowed to grow apart, no matter how long it has been. 

He stutters through an apology, and Yuuko can’t keep the fond smile off of her face. But he’s here, and she knows exactly what that means. “Oh, you came to skate right? Go ahead.”

He seems surprised, and she can’t help but think it’s silly for him to come all this way only expecting to be told to leave. As if she would say no.

Her voice gets softer as she tries to comfort him. She saw his season, and she knows what mood has brought him here. “You just want to skate alone for now, right? I’ll protect you.” She adds a wink for effect, keeping the tone playful, though she’s deadly serious in her words. He never really believes her, but she’s happy to say it as many times as she has to. And it’s worth it, for the soft smile that graces his face as he says thank you.

She goes back to work as he moves to put his skates on, but she can feel his anticipatory glances every so often. She meets them with a smile, and follows him in without surprise as he says that there’s something he wants to show her.

As he skates to the middle of the rink, she watches with idle curiosity, but then he strikes a starting pose, and before he even begins she sucks in a breath as she realizes what he’s doing.

She recognizes it- of course she recognizes it. Victor’s _Stammi Vicino_ is easy to recognize, even without the music. But seeing Yuuri do it strikes quite a different chord in her. There’s something about Yuuri that Victor never really touches in his own performances- an innocence, a vulnerability, a naivety, that a playboy like Victor could never hope to represent. It’s enchanting. 

Yuuko can’t say she really knows why Yuuri learned this, or why he’s showing it to her, but she can’t stop the excitement from welling up in her as the program continues, getting pulled further into the spell Yuuri is casting. He’s always so beautiful when he skates- sometimes she thinks he’s otherworldly.

She was so sure that he was thinking of quitting. She never wanted him to, of course, but she knew Yuuri, and she knew what happened when he self-destructed. But this... this was not depressed Yuuri who had given up. This Yuuri was beautiful. And he was… well, he was…

“That was super cool! A perfect copy of Victor! Awesome!”  
  


**setandvere** **onceagainbornagain** **onceagainbornagain**  
  
_[Katsuki Yuri] Tried to Skate Victor’s FS Program [Stay Close to Me]_  
  
G U Y S

**setandvere**  
  
HOLY SHIT!  
  
#katsuki yuuri     #yuuri katsuki     #skating babies     #I'M DYING     #D Y I N G  
#I CAN'T BELIEVE HE DID VICTOR'S PROGRAM  
#THIS IS A DECLARATION OF SOME KIND     #LOVE? WAR? WHO KNOWS!!!!  
**10,741 notes**

#  ⋯ 

“Vitya, don’t go. Stay here.” Yakov isn’t going to plead, because that would be legitimizing this ridiculous flight of fancy. He speaks in commands, telling Victor what he needs to do.

Victor just turns, three-quarters, leaving him a picture perfect dramatic silhouette against the night sky and streetlights. “Yakov, you were the best coach I ever had. You always will be.” His words fall softly, like the white snowflakes dropping around him. His scarf sways along in the breeze, quiet and sad, somehow.

Yakov is going to strangle him with it. “If you walk away now, you can never come back!” What was this idiot trying to _do_?

Victor only approaches him, smile sad. He leans in close, whispers “Do svidaniya,” and kisses his cheek as a goodbye.

It’s beautiful, dramatic, and poignant, the goodbye that Victor has concocted. Like something out of a romantic drama, which would be fantastic except Victor wasn’t a protagonist of a romance, he was a god damn _skater_ and he had no business flying off like this.

And that’s the problem, isn’t it? Victor seems convinced that he’s living out the plot of a romance, and he’s acting according to _that_ script, instead of just being a _normal person_ that _didn’t_ try to put their coach in an early grave. 

“I’m sorry I can’t do as you say this time.” 

Something in Yakov snaps. “You don’t get to say that when you’ve never done as I said in the first place!”  
  


## What Happened to Victor Nikiforov?

##### Devora Mayors

Before you get out your torches and pitchforks- no, this isn’t going to be an attempt to slander Nikiforov. We’ve seen what happens when someone tries to disparage our favorite Russian skating god (and you thought Yuri Angels were scary). But if you’ve taken out your favorite handkerchief and are already rapidly moving through the five stages of grief- well, we’re not sure we have anything that can be counted as good news.

Victor Nikiforov has disappeared from Russia.

Some of you may be staring blankly at your screens right now. “But Victor leaves Russia all the time!” some of you are thinking. The more devoted of Victor fans may be fondly recalling some of his more famous antics (that last one is my favorite) and wonder what he’s getting up to this time. But the most devoted of Victor fans are likely no longer reading this article, because they’re sobbing on the ground. For the rest of you, we’ll catch you up. 

Rumors of Nikiforov’s retirement have been flying around since the end of last season. They died down after he won his first gold of the season, and practically disappeared after he took gold at the GPF with ease- after all, anyone with eyes can tell that Nikiforov is far from needing to go into retirement. 

But the uneasiness in his fan base never fully left, especially since the man himself has artfully dodged every single question about his plans for next season. And with the number of questions only multiplying the closer we got to the end of the season with still no answer, it has taken some very impressive verbal acrobatics to get away with that. (Well, that, and a heavy dose of his looks- using a smile or a wink to get a reporter to shut up is a super-effective move in his arsenal that _this_ journalist, at least, respects and fears.)

“So what does Nikiforov leaving Russia have to do with this?” those of you from the first group are still asking. “He leaves all the time.” That’s all well and good, except for the fact that he has absolutely no reason to be going abroad right now. No competitions, no appearances, nothing. Usually, this is the time Nikiforov devotes to lavishing attention on his precious dog, Makkachin, or updating his social media with sometimes hourly updates. All while staying put in his home country.

So what _is_ he doing? As devoted to surprising his audience as Nikiforov is, there’s still cause and effect, and right now we don’t want to be surprised, so we’re looking for the cause to figure out where this effect came from. And those who follow everything Victor Nikiforov have already made a guess at a cause: this video of fellow skater Yuuri Katsuki that’s recently gone viral. Victor leaving happened much too close for the two to be wholly unconnected- we’re no scientists, but come on. At the very least there’s a correlation, if not causation. 

There are a lot of different theories on what, exactly, was Nikiforov’s response to the video. Those who hate Katsuki due to his (admittedly) disastrous season have put forth theories that Nikiforov is heading to Japan to challenge the other skater. Others think he saw promise in the younger skater and is heading to offer to coach him. The most imaginative of the community suspect that after watching the video Nikiforov fell in love at “first sight” and left to declare himself to Katsuki (despite the fact that they’ve already met at least once at this season’s GPF, and likely at least in passing in the past).

Or maybe the guy’s just taking a vacation? Occam’s razor would suggest so, but Occam never met Nikiforov, so maybe not. 

For the time being, it’s impossible to know. But whatever it is, it’s something big. Of that much we’re certain. How can we be so sure? 

Well, when Nikiforov disappeared from Russia? He took Makkachin. And if that doesn’t tell you how serious and committed he is to _whatever_ this move is, then you’ve obviously never heard the man talk about his dog.

Whatever Nikiforov is up to this time, we figure it’ll only be a few days at most before the truth comes out. And when that time comes, we’ll be sure to let you know. But until then, what are _your_ theories on what Nikiforov is doing? Leave us a comment!

#  ⋯ 

Victor dips his toe into the water, letting the warmth sweep through him. If he weren’t already in love with the town, he knows for a fact that the onsen would convince him to fall anyway. But how could he possibly not be in love with the town? He hasn’t seen much, but he can just tell Hasetsu is so charming and welcoming. And Yu-topia Katsuki just has such a nice _feeling_ to it. Like the comforting honeyed light at sunset, if the golden light was spun into a family and an inn and an onsen. Sepia-tone and fuzzy and warm. He’s not quite sure, but he thinks it feels like home.

But he lets that thought dissipate, sighing happily as he sinks into the water. Instead, he directs his thoughts somewhere more pleasant. Like Yuuri. Yuuri is pleasant. And not here when he got here, but that’s alright. It built anticipation. Victor wonders what his first words should be to Yuuri. Something dramatic, surely. It’s been so long since he’s gotten to see him, their first meeting again just _has_ to be memorable. 

Victor thinks through a few lines he’s prepared in his head, wondering which one to try. He’ll have to make a decision soon. Yuuri would be showing up within a few moments, surely.

Eyes widening, Victor realizes he hasn’t thought about presentation. Saying something cool is important, but he has to look good too. Maybe a sweep of the arm? 

And he silently reminds himself to play it cool. Show your interest, but don’t come on too strong. He can do that, right? Definitely. Victor totally can do that.

He tries to keep his impatience down, but it’s a losing battle. Luckily, it’s not one he has to fight for long.

Yuuri comes barrelling into the space, and Victor keeps his face carefully blank. He has to get this right.

“Vi-Victor. Why are you here?” 

Victor barely hears him, so wrapped up in his own preparations. He stands, and then smiles the smile that he knows is a hit among his fans. He adds the arm sweep in, on a whim. But it seems to be a good idea. It gives the situation gravity. Without much time to choose, he goes for the first line he’d thought up. “Yuuri, starting today, I’m your coach! I’ll make you win the Grand Prix Final.”

He adds a wink, because it always works on the fangirls. Surely it’ll work on Yuuri too?

As Yuuri stares at him in awe, Victor feels satisfaction in his chest. Totally nailed it.

But then… Oh no. Why is Yuuri screaming?

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> I'm still not entirely sure if I'm going to continue this, as I've gotten what I wanted out of it, but if you would like me to cover the entire series, please tell me! In the case that I do continue it:
> 
> Any other form of media you want to see? Let me know! I'll try to see if I can design it.
> 
> Updates are likely to be very slow, as I'm teaching myself how to make this fic as I make it, and if any chapter requires new designs, I have to figure that out. But you already know what happens next, so I'm sure you can be patient, haha!
> 
> If you want to talk to me, you can find me at [@adjit](http://adjit.tumblr.com) on tumblr. I'm always happy to talk.


End file.
